Free Water Song by Suzanne Weyn

fulfilled my part of thebargain."
    "You didn't go down to get it," she insisted.
    "Maybe I've had it since the first day that it clonked me on the head." That wasn't how it had happened. He'd only just found it wedged, like her foot had been, between two jagged stones under the water, but it was possible he'd had it all along, and so that would be his story.
    "And you didn't return it to me?" she cried. "You're horrible!"
    "That's sort of harsh, sug," he replied, still holding tight to the locket. "I may be a little rough around the edges but I'm not horrible. I was just waitin' for the right moment."
    Again, she lunged for his fist. He quickly switched it behind his back to the other hand and held it out to her in the center of his flat palm. "Here you go."
    In a flash of movement, she plucked it from his hand and moved swiftly away over to the upholstered chair, eyeing him warily. He lay on the bed and put  his hands behind his head. "Don't worry. I'm not going to try to get it back. I gave it to you of my own will, didn't I?"
    He watched her open the locket and gaze down at the photo inside. His vision remained somewhat foggy from the gas but he suspected that the photo under the glass was ruined. "Boyfriend's handsome face wrecked?" he asked.
    Ignoring his comment, she attempted to get her fingernail under the golden frame and pick it up, but couldn't move it.
    He went to the dresser where he found a pen. "Let me try," he offered, his hand outstretched to take the locket from her.
    She shot him a suspicious glance.
    "I'll return it to you," he assured her with a note of annoyance behind his words. Why would he have given it to her if he intended to snatch it away again?
    Examining the locket, he saw the blurred picture. Whatever the boyfriend had looked like, he would never know. That was all right. He didn't particularly want to see him. She sure was frantic to get at that picture, though. It wounded him to see how badly she wanted it.
    He stuck the pen nib into the frame and gently lifted the frame and glass before handing it to her.
    Without a glance, she peeled off the top picture. Quickly crumpling it and tossing it to the floor, she gently smoothed with her thumb the photograph that lay below it.

    He came beside her and looked down at the picture in the open locket. The edges of the picture were somewhat damaged by the water, but the people were still visible. They were a very proper-looking man and woman. The woman, though, had lively eyes and Jack saw where Emma had gotten her striking beauty and defiant expression.
    For a moment, Emma sat there, transfixed by the faces in the locket, her eyes brimming with tears. So it hadn't been the boyfriend she was after at all, he realized. He could see how much this meant and felt guilty for doubting her and for teasing her about it.
    After a moment, she brusquely brushed her eyes dry and looked up at him. "Do you think you could open the other side of the locket for me?" she requested.
    He reached out and she placed the locket in his palm. Prying again with the pen nib into the compartment on the other half of the sphere, he attempted to open it, but this time nothing budged. He lifted it to his ear and shook it. "What's in there?"
    "I don't know. I've never been able to open it." She looked up at him seriously. "Did you see anyone else around the well?" she asked. "Someone saved me. Whoever it was swam up at me from the bottom of the well."
    "Maybe it was some kind of water creature, half man, half frog," he suggested. He didn't want to reveal how he'd gotten into the well. She might try it herself, and it was incredibly dangerous.
    "Don't be absurd," she scoffed. "But, still ... it's  quite odd." She lifted her hand. "My locket, please."
    He didn't give it back to her immediately. "Now can I collect my friendly kiss?"
    She got up from the chair and cast him an offended glance. "If you don't mind, I've just been nearly drowned. I'd like to find a towel to dry my hair,